Kastali Dun

Claire kept her hand hooked around the crook of King Talon's elbow. She tried to ignore her emotions. Before today, she and King Talon had never physically touched. Even when he had tried to kill her, it was his dagger blade that had kissed her neck, nothing more. Now she tucked her hand around his arm.

The royal garden—which sat within the courtyard of the keep's lowest level—was a vast network of stone pathways. These pathways weaved through exotic flower beds, blooming shrubberies, and trees. Today the garden was empty; all those living within the keep were still gathered in the entrance courtyard. As King Talon guided them, several minutes passed quietly, amplifying the sounds of the garden. Branches rustled in the breeze, bugs chirruped, birds fluttered about in song. It was a magical place whose quiet Claire usually enjoyed; this time, the quiet was becoming too much.

She wished King Talon would say something—anything that might explain why they were here. Perhaps he had brought her here to apologize. The idea left her hopeful. She wished that he would. After all, she wanted to repair their relationship and work together on good terms. In order to move on, she needed to know that he was sorry. She couldn't simply forget the way he had mistreated her—not without closure. She stole a glance at him. His silver, brooding eyes were focused on the path ahead. From the passive expression he wore, there was no telling what his mood was.

The silence continued as they moved deeper into the garden. Claire could have asked King Talon about his journey, or about how things had gone in Lincastle, but she refused to make his job any easier. Instead, she held her tongue. It took some time, but when he did finally speak, she was hardly prepared for his words. "Your gown is...beautiful." As he said it, he glanced down at her before turning away.

Claire gazed after him, her eyes bulging like a frog's. Had he really just complimented her? Realizing her shock, she quickly composed her thoughts and schooled her features before he noticed. Then she said as sweetly as possible, "I'm glad you like it, Your Grace. I thought the color would look wonderful on me."

"It suits you well, yes."

His reaction was far from what she had expected. She almost preferred a scenario where he might have said something less complimentary. Then she would have had a reason to continue disliking him as much as she had.

A new and curious silence ensued. When they came upon a bench, he led her to it and sat down beside her. All the while, he avoided her gaze. It seemed as if he was determined to look anywhere except her.

At last, she could stand it no longer. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but is there a reason we are here?" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Though he was difficult to read, there was a hint of frustration evident. She saw it in the way he held himself tensely, and in the way he fiddled with a golden coin hidden in his hand.

He slipped the coin in his pocket and turned to her. "There is a reason, yes. I was upset when I discovered what had happened in my absence. I would like to hear your version of the story."

Claire slowly exhaled. The king's words brought everything into clarity. Disappointment clawed at her insides. Just when she had hoped for an apology, his intentions became clear. He simply wanted a direct account of what had happened with the Vodar. "As...as you wish," she said, her voice hollow.

Granting his request, she detailed what had happened the night the Vodar attacked, beginning with Saffra's vision and ending with her plummet into the sea. She told him everything except for how the secret passages were used. He hadn't yet earned her trust and she wanted to keep that a secret—for now.

During her retelling, King Talon often stopped her. She did her best to be patient with him, especially when he said, "You put yourself in great danger."

"I am no coward, Your Grace. Danger or not, I wasn't going to sit idly by while the Vodar attacked the keep."

The king's jaw tightened. Her eyes lingered over his muscles as they flexed. How very like him to be angry with her choices.

"And what of Cyrus's Sverak?" he said at length. "Was that you? Or was it Cyrus?"

"Cyrus, obviously. It called to him—to me—like the pull of metal to a magnet."

"And the fire you created? I find it hard to believe you capable of performing Sprite magic. Are you sure you have remembered correctly?"

This time, Claire opened her mouth to bite back. King Talon's disbelief left her frustrated. Before she could say anything—

Take a deep breath and be patient...

She did exactly as Cyrus advised then said, "I am positive about what happened, Your Grace. Check with Grand Mage Marcel if you don't believe me."

At last, he nodded. "Very well. Regardless of how the events played out, I hope you understand that leaping off the tower balcony was very irresponsible of you."

"You've got to be joking me! Do you mean to say that I should have let the Vodar steal the Stones?" King Talon did not immediately respond, nor did she let him. "If you do, if that's what you mean, then let's get something straight right now. I was willing to do whatever it took to secure the Stones—perhaps you fail to understand what that means?"

"You do not know me, Claire."

"Maybe you're right. I don't know you. All I know is that you did a terrible job of protecting them."

She expected him to fire back, but no immediate answer followed. He sat silently for a long time. He was quiet for so long that she began to fear he was punishing her for what she had said. At last he seemed to snap out of his trance. "What bothers me the most"—his voice was overly calm—"is that I cannot decide whether I should be furious with you, or grateful." He abruptly stood and took several paces away from her, keeping his back between them.

"I think you ought to be grateful, Your Grace. I saved the Stones. They are—"

"Have you any idea how worried I was?" He rounded on her. "After the attack, when they reported you missing, I was helpless to do anything. You were lost. I was left to wait until Koldis informed me that you had crawled out of the sea. You put yourself at risk, Claire. It was irresponsible. That is why I wish to be angry with you. Damn the Stones. And damn you for making me worry so much."

"You're calling me irresponsible?" She clenched the edge of the garden bench until her fingers ached. So much for hiding her emotions! She no longer cared. "Clearly that word holds a different meaning for you than it does for me." A bird squawked loudly as if sensing her upset. It took flight from a nearby branch. She glanced up at it before returning her attention to King Talon.

"Lady Claire," he said, "perhaps you have failed to realize that you could have died!"

Something inside her snapped and she jumped to her feet, no longer able to sit. "Sure! I could have died. But what do you care for my life? You have never cared about me. You may pretend to. If I recall correctly, you were this close to slitting my throat." She held up her forefinger and thumb to illustrate exactly how close.

"You dare bring that into the fold? I acted rashly. I think we can both agree on that."

"Rashly? What an understatement! And to top it all off, you never bothered to apologize for what you put me through! Why is that? Wait—I will tell you: You don't give a damn about what you did to me. Don't pretend like you care."

She was so angry she wanted to scream. Why did King Talon bring out such destructive emotions in her? She took another deep breath, struggling against her bodice.

How ridiculous this was! She barked a laugh. "You know what? It's not worth it. Forget it—all of it. You're the king. That makes you above apologies, right? How silly of me for expecting one. I'll see you at dinner, Your Grace."

King Talon's surprised expression—mouth hanging open and all—was the only satisfaction she received. It was enough. She stormed away. She'd had more than enough of him for one day.

When it was time to go to the feast Claire was still fuming. Desaree had done her best to calm her down, but there was no diffusing her tension. She hated to know that she would be in the same room as King Talon.

As they walked down to the dining hall, Claire tried to appear happy, forcing herself to wear a smile she didn't believe in. Desaree chatted about nothing in particular to lighten the mood while Claire absentmindedly listened. Unfortunately, her heart was elsewhere—with the king. Why couldn't he simply pluck up the courage to apologize? Did he truly care so little? Did she mean nothing to him?

When they crossed the threshold into the dining hall, the room was already rather full. Reyr's voice sounded in Claire's mind. "Your new gown looks stunning on you. Oh...and interesting choice of color, too. Royal blue..."

The snide remark lightened her mood a little. "I'm glad you're back, Reyr." She considered telling him how much she had missed him, then decided against it. Instead she glanced at the head table, trying to keep her furtive look inconspicuous. Fortunately, the king had not yet noticed her.

She and Desaree quickly made their way to their seats. "We should take some food to Saffra," Desaree offered. "Perhaps she would like some company tonight."

Claire agreed.

Not long after they took their seats, the serving staff poured in, arms filled with platters of food. These were deposited all along the trestle tables.

"What happened between you and the king?" Reyr interrupted her thoughts. "He seems troubled...more so than usual."

"Oh really?" She feigned innocence as she drizzled gravy over her potatoes and meat.

"What did you two fight about this time?"

She sighed, stopping for a moment to explain. "The king is too good for apologies. He would rather scold me for risking my life than admit to being a pompous ass." She looked up in time to see Reyr coughing and patting his chest. His face was filled with mirth.

"What is so funny?" King Talon asked Reyr.

"Nothing, Your Grace. It is nothing." There was a slight pause, before Reyr said, "Claire, while I do agree that King Talon can be pompous—"

"Can be? Reyr! He is!"

"Very well. Although I do not agree with his inability to apologize, he made a valid point. You exposed yourself to a very risky situation—"

"Oh no, not you too!"

"But—hear me out! You have displayed undying bravery, yet again. I cannot fault you for taking action. The king may be incapable of thanking you, so I will. Thank you."

Claire's face flooded with heat. Reyr's simple acknowledgement was unexpected, but she appreciated it. After swallowing a mouthful of food, she said, "I appreciate your thanks, Reyr, but it should be the king who thanks me, not you."

"Claire, do you think Saffra will want some of these?" Desaree held up a bowl of candied walnuts, unintentionally cutting into the conversation.

It was too difficult to hold two conversations at once, so Claire turned her full attention to Desaree and said, "Yes, let's take Saffra some of those. She'll love them." Then she glanced over at Reyr and added, "We can talk about this another time."

Desaree snatched up an empty plate and began loading it with goodies.

"Very well. May I come by after dinner?"

Though the conversation was silent, Claire shook her head. "I don't think so, Reyr. Des and I are going to visit Saffra tonight."

The real excuse was that Claire simply wanted to be alone, even if it had been a while since she'd seen Reyr. She still felt emotionally exhausted from her argument with King Talon. The best way to heal was with a hot bath, a mug of chamomile tea, and some sleep.

"Very well, we can discuss this tomorrow," Reyr said in an offhand way. When she looked up at him, he was intent on his plate of food, but his face mirrored his disappointment.

She looked away from Reyr and her gaze fell upon King Talon. His silver eyes captured hers like a snare and she gazed into them. His face may have been emotionless, but his eyes were not; they glittered with questions. She stared back at him with an air of indifference, determined to stand her ground. The last thing she wanted was to reveal how upset she was. When at last he turned his eyes away, she smiled, victorious. Then she turned her full attention upon Desaree, determined to ignore King Talon for the rest of the night and salvage what remained of her evening. 

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